Dinkelsbuhl or Salzburg

Salzburg, of course! There is a lot to see and do there. What's in Dinkelsbuhl?

I think Salzburg also, tho some people have said they liked Dinkelsbuhl better then Rothernburg odt. Said it's less tourisy.

Hi Jimmy, Salzburg. No contest at all.

I guess I'll have to be the lone dissenter here. It's a matter of geography. If Scotty were going to beam you to either place, I'd say Salzburg, but it would be hours of travel. There is a lot to see around Rothenburg ob der Tauber, like Nürnberg, Würzburg, Bamberg, Dinkelsbühl, Nördlingen (my choice before Dinkelsbühl), Bad Mergentheim, etc. Spend your time sightseeing, not traveling.

Just comparing the two then Salzburg it would be. If you would be leaving the area around Dinkelsbuhl just to see Salzburg I believe I would save it for another trip. If you have time and were planning on seeing other areas around Salzburg like maybe Berchtesgaden or places close by I would go on to Salzburg which has much more to see than Dinkelsbuhl. There are a number of sights and attractions around Salzburg to spend a few days.

I guess people go to Dinkelsbühl because they have heard of it. But IMO, having seen both Dinkelsbühl and Nördlingen, I prefer Nördlingen. Both are less touristy versions of Rothenburg. Dinkelsbühl is unique in that it has a different kind of wall, one without a "Wehrgang" - the defensive platform on the top of the wall. Apperently they planned to defend the wall from the towers. However, I enjoyed walking along the Wehrgang in Nördlingen. I missed that in Dinkelsbühl. Nördlingen sits in the middle of the Ries, a large, ancient meteor crater, the walls of which were used as training for our Apollo astronauts. Any day except Monday you can learn about it at the Ries museum in Nördlingen. There is a church in the center of Nördlingen. The tower is called Daniel. You can climb the inside to the top for a great view of the town and the surrounding countryside, even, on a clear day, to the walls of the Ries. If you are taking the train from Rothenburg to Füssen, Nördlingen is about 2½ hrs from Rothenburg. Stop there for a night or two. I stayed at Gasthof Zum Engel, which is right outside one of the city gates, a short walk from the Bahnhof. There are buses, 45-50 min, to Dinkelsbühl if you still want to see it.

Here's a short answer and a long answer. Read whichever one you're inclined to. Short answer: We are making a loop trip from Munich. So my question involved whether we should spend time in Dinkelsbuhl or in Salzburg in that loop. Thank you to all who replied. :) Long answer: I'm planning on bidding on Priceline to get a roundtrip ticket from San Francisco to Dublin, as we're visiting Ireland for a couple days first before continuing to Germany. I will buy roundtrip tickets on Aerlingus for the Dublin-Munich leg, returning to Dublin one day before flying back to San Francisco. We cannot fly from Munich directly back to San Francisco because Priceline does not have an open-jaws option for bidding on airplane tickets. Once we arrive in Munich, we plan to spend two nights there, making a day trip to Salzburg in between. Then we'll see Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles as early in the day as possible before continuing to Switzerland, where we'll stay in the Lauterbrunnen area for 5 days and 5 nights. After that, it's on to Heidelberg for the afternoon and that night, then Rothenburg ODT for two nights and a full day. Then we'll go to Dinkelsbuhl for a few hours instead of a full day. Nordlingen is past Dinkelsbuhl, so I don't know if we'll have time for that. Our flight will leave Munich for Dublin at about 8 that evening. I chose to fly from Munich instead of Frankfurt back to Ireland because according to Mapquest, the driving time from Dinkelsbuhl to Frankfurt is identical as the driving time from Dinkelsbuhl to Munich. So I figured, once we're in Dinkelsbuhl, might as well avoid backtracking through Heidelburg enroute to Frankfurt. I also wouldn't have to deal with dropping off the rental car at an unfamiliar airport. Any thoughts on the itinerary? It is still very much a work in progress. Thanks!

Hi Jimmy, Is that a total of 9 nights in Germany and Switzerland? 2 nights Munich
5 nights Lauterbrunnen 2 nights Rothenburg Paul

Salzburg.......and I am completely bias toward Dinkelsbuhl, as my husband's family moved from there years ago. I've been to both places several times and think Dinkelsbuhl is a most enchanting small town, a slightly smaller, less-touristy version of Rothenberg. On the other hand, Salzburg offers a greater variety of things to do in and around the city. The experiences really are not to be compared. If you are traveling by car you might consider visiting Dinkelsbuhl while in Rothenburg or on-route. The distance between the towns is minimal and you certainly can get a feeling for Dinkelsbuhl in a few hours. Having said the above, I offer one caveat.....if you will be traveling in July the Kinderzeche in Dinkelsbuhl is a wonderful festival involving the entire town. This year the culmination is July 24th....the best day to be there.

That's 2 nights in Munich, 5 nights in Lauterbrunnen, 1 night in Heidelberg, and 2 nights in Rothenburg for a total of 10. 5 days and nights in Switzerland, my main draw, and 5 days and nights in Germany, my wife's. The nights in Munich are not to see Munich, but to make a day trip to Salzburg, which my wife wants to see as I have been there and she has not. We won't fly into Munich until late, so we're not going to drive to Salzburg that night. Neuschwanstein is the opposite way from Munich, so staying in Munich after a full day in Salzburg will allow us to get a head start to Neuschwanstein the next morning. Dinkelsbuhl does look charming from the pictures. Any other opinions about Nordlingen?

Hi Jimmy, You say "we're not going to drive to Salzburg that night" so I assume you'll rent a car. If you aren't staying in Munich to see Munich, I'd suggest that after your visit to Salzburg, instead of returning to Munich, head to the Innsbruck area for the night. It's about 2 hours from Salzburg (same as Munich) and from the Innsbruck area it's about 2 hours to Fuessen (similar as from Munich). Only real difference would be is that you'd be surrounded by beautiful Alpine scenery. I have to agree with James about Dinkelsbuehl (haven't been to Noerdlingen). Paul

I've only been to Dinkelsbuhl once, I liked it for a short walk around the old center. It's a great stop for a morning walk and early lunch before traveling on. If you are planning to stay a couple of days, definitely Salzburg. I've been to Salzburg several times and try to visit it anytime I'm in the area. It's a beautiful city and has a range of interesting sites (within walking distance of the old center).

Thanks for all your feedback. We've decided to drop those two nights in Ireland and fly directly to the Continent instead. This will give us more time in Salzburg and Switzerland.